Contact element

ABSTRACT

A reactant element for contacting a stream of fluid such as air or other gas or liquid with a particulate reactant. The particulate reaction is retained in a core structure specially constructed to resist deflection by fluid moving through the element. The core structure consists of two sets of parallel stiffening strips transversely disposed across a moving fluid stream. One of the sets of parallel strips is rotationally displaced from the other such that the strips of one set lie in planes angularly displaced from the planes of the first set of strips. Corrugated spacer sheets are disposed between the strips of each set and are joined at the tops and bottoms of the corrugations to the next-adjacent strips. A particulate reactant material is disposed in the fluid channels formed by the spacer sheets and the stiffening strips. A frame encloses the periphery of the core structure, forming a unitary cartridge-like element.

United States Patent [:91

Feldman 1 Apr. 17, 1973 CONTACT ELEMENT [76] Inventor: Elliot I. Feldman,,2850 E. Second Street, Tucson, Ariz. 85716 22 Filed: Apr. 24, 1972 21 Appl.No.: 246,947

[52] US. Cl. ..55/484, 55/316, 55/387, 55/489, 55/512 [51] Int. Cl. ..B0ld 50/00 [58] Field of Search ..55/316, 387-389, 55/490, 512, 489, 484

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,172,747 3/1965 Nodolfim; ..55/3l6 3,568,416 3/1971 Staunton ..55/3 16 3,630,007 12/1971 Neumann ..55/387 3,664,095 5/1972 Asken .55/387 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,225,751 311971 Great Britain ..55/316 Primary Examiner-Hemard Noziclt Attorney-William l-l. Drummond ABSTRACT A reactant element for contacting a stream of fluid such as air or other gas or liquid with a particulate reactant. The particulate reaction is retained in a core structure specially constructed to resist deflection by fluid moving through the element. The core structure consists of two sets of parallel stiffening strips transversely disposed across a moving fluid stream. One of the sets of parallel strips is rotationally displaced from the other such that the strips of one set lie in planes angularly displaced from the planes of the first set of strips. Corrugated spacer sheets are disposed between the strips of each set and are joined at the tops and bottoms of the corrugations to the next-adjacent strips. A particulate reactant materialis disposed in the fluid channels formed by the spacer sheets and the stiffening strips. A frame encloses the periphery of the core structure, forming a unitary cartridge-like element.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures lll Il CONTACT ELENEENT This invention relates to apparatus for treating air or other fluids, either gases or liquids and, more particularly, relates to reactant elements of the general type disclosed in my issued US. Pat. No. 3,577,710, issued May 4, 197 l In one aspect, the invention relates to apparatusspecially adapted for contacting the fluid with a particulate reactant material, especially air or other gaseous fluids.

In yet another aspect, the invention relates to fluidtreatment reactant elements having improved resistance to deflection by fluid flowing therethrough.

In another respect, the invention relatesto improved apparatus for subjecting air to a wide variety of unit operations in which it is necessary to contact air with a particulate reactant such as deodorization, purification, dessication, filtration, and the like.

For convenience, my present invention and the various embodiments thereof will be described below with reference to the treatment of air by contact with solid particulate reactants. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the reactant elements which stream to alter its overall chemical or physical characteristics. Thus, by way of illustration, and without limiting the generality of the term, the work reactant includes such diverse air-treatment materials as dessicants, absorbents and adsorbents such as silica gel, alusubstrates and filter media.

In structures embodying the present invention, the reactant is formed in discrete granules, pellets, beads or any other suitable discrete particulate shape such that they may be positioned within the channels of the sheet means in such a way as to provide acceptable contact with the airstream moving therethrough and yet pro- I described can'be employed in any application in which it is necessary to contact a fluid, either liquid or other gas, with solid particulate reactants, catalysts, reaction substrates, etc.

In many unit operations, it is necessary to obtain intimate contact between air and one or more solid reactant materials to produce various changes in the physical or chemical condition of the air. For example, air is frequently subjected to dehumidification, absorption, filtration, adsorption, sublimation and deodorizing operations by passing an airstream through or otherwise intimately contacting the air mass with a solid material which may be porous or particulate. In the case of particulate solids, the contact may be accomplished by passing the air through a loosely packed stationary bed of the reactant, by mixing the air with finely divided particulate material which is later removed from the air by filtration, by the familiar fluidized bed technique, and by various other art-recognized expedients.

In my US. Pat. No. 3,577,710, I describe a reactant element useful for contacting air, gas and other fluids with particulate reactant materials to produce a wide variety of chemical or physical changes of the fluid. Illustratively, the reactant element described in my previous patent is useful in deodorizing, disinfecting or detoxifying air, for-carrying out various chemical reactions between the air, gas or other fluid and solid reactant materials, and in conducting vapor phase reactions between two or more compounds prepared in situ by passing an appropriate carrier fluid over two or more particulate reactants.

I have now discovered and developed an improved reactant element of the type generally contemplated and disclosed in my prior patent in which the element is constructed in such manner as to minimize deflection of the reactant element by fluid flowing therethrough, enabling one to employ lighter and thinner materials in constructing the element.

As used herein, the term reactant includes not only materials which actually react with the components of an airstream but also, in a broader sense, includes materials which do not chemically react with the components of the airstream but which act upon the vide sufficient free area to induce minimum pressure loss. Obviously, the particle size of the reactant must not be so small that it is physically entrained in the moving airstream, or so small that the reactant moves within the channel, forming a'compact mass blocking the airflow. Selection of the proper granule or particle size can be accomplished by routine experimentation having regard for this disclosure and, since the proper particle size will depend upon allowable pressure drop, degree of contact required, net space velocity of the airflow, density of the granule, etc., it is impossible to place numerical limitations on the range of particle sizes which may be employed in all applications of the invention. I I

It is.a primary object of the invention to provide a reactant element useful in contacting fluids with a particulate reactant.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a reactant'element specially designed to reduce deflection of the element by fluid flowing therethrough.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a means of constructing a reactant element in which thinner and lighter materials of construction can be employed.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention taken in' conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the core construction of a reactant element, constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cutaway plan view of a reactant element having a core constructed as in FIG. 1.

Briefly, in accordance with my invention, I provide an improved reactant element for usein fluid-treatment apparatus. Typically, such apparatus includes a fluid duct member having upstream and downstream portions, means for moving fluid from the upstream to the downstream portion of the duct and a reactant element disposed transversely across the duct between the upstream and downstream portions for contacting the moving fluid with a particulate reactannThe element comprises a first core member and a second core member. The first core member includes a plurality of transverse planar stiffening strips disposed in planes form a plurality of parallel fluid channels extending generally in the direction of fluid flow through the reactant element. The second core member is constructed in the same manner as the first core member and is disposed in parallel relation to the first core member.

The second core member is rotationally displaced from the first such that the stiffening strips of the second core member lie in planes rotationally angularly displaced from the planes of the stiffening strips in the firstcore member.- The particulate reactant is disposed in the fluid channels anda frame optionally encloses the periphery of the core members, forming a unitary cartridge-like element therewith. The core members are preferably disposed in direct face-to-face contact (as shown in FIG. 2 such that they directly support each other against fluid deflection loads. However, if desired, the core members can be spaced apart by a suitable load-transmitting'porous member, such that fluid deflection loads are transmitted from one to the other.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is an explodedperspective view illustrating the general placement of core members to form a reactant element embodying the invention. The first core member, generally indicated by reference character 10, and the second core member, generally indicated by reference character 1 1, each consistof a plurality of planar stiffening strips is 90. However, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the magnitude of the angle a may vary considerably without materially afiecting the ability of the reactant element to resist deflection by the moving fluid. As will also be apparent, more than. two core members may be included to form the reactant ele- 1 ment. For example, four core members can ranged in series in the manner generallyindicated in 1 FIG. 1 with the stiffening strips of the core members ar ranged at approximately 45 angles to eachother.

As shown in FIG. 2, the reactant element contains the particulate reactant 21 disposed in and substan- .tiallyfilling the fluid channels 14 of the 'core members 10 and 11. A fluid-permeable sheet member is affixed to the upstream face 23 and the downstream face 24 of the core member assembly to retain the particulate reactant 21 within the fluid channels 14. A suitable frame 22 formed, for example, of sheet metal, extruded 12. The stiffening strips lie in planes generally parallel I to the direction (indicated by arrow A) of fluid flow through the reactant element. v

Corrugated spacer sheets 13 are disposed between each of the stiflening strips 12 and are joined at the tops 13a and bottoms 13b of the corrugations to the next-adjacent stiffening strips 12. The method of joining the spacer sheets 13 to the stiffening strips 12 is not critical and maybe varied depending on the material from which the spacer sheets 13 and stiffening strips 12 are constructed and the method of manufacture of the -core members. For example,-these elements may be the first core member 10 such that the stifl'ening strips 12 of the second core member 11 lie in planes rotationally angularly displaced from the planes of the stiffening strips in the first core member 10, generally.indicated by the-angle d. As shown inFlG. l, the angle a plastic, heavy cardboard, or the like, encloses the periphery of the core member porous sheet assembly to form a unitary cartridge element.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that reactant elements constructed as disclosed herein have improved resistance to deflection because the planar stiffening strips ofthe core members are angularly displaced such that one set of stiffening strips re sists deflection in one direction and the other sets resist deflection in another direction.

Having described my invention and the presently preferred embodiments thereof, I claim:

1. An improved cartridge element for fluid treating apparatus, specially adapted to resist deflection by fluid moving therethrough, said element comprising:

a. a first core member, including i. a plurality of spaced parallel transverse planar stiffening strips disposed in planes generally 1 parallel to the direction of fluid flow, and

ii. corrugated spacer sheets disposed between and joined at the tops and bottoms of corrugations thereof to adjacent stiffening strips, forming a plurality of parallel fluid channels extending generally in the direction of fluid flow;

b. a second identical core member disposed in parallel relation to said first core member and rotamembers and sheet means forming tridge element.

' v n =0: a:

a unitary carbe ar-:

. frame means enclosing the periphery of said core 

1. An improved cartridge element for fluid treating apparatus, specially adapted to resist deflection by fluid moving therethrough, said element comprising: a. a first core member, including i. a plurality of spaced parallel transverse planar stiffening strips disposed in planes generally parallel to the direction of fluid flow, and ii. corrugated spacer sheets disposed between and joined at the tops and bottoms of corrugations thereof to adjacent stiffening strips, forming a plurality of parallel fluid channels extending generally in the direction of fluid flow; b. a second identical core member disposed in parallel relation to said first core member and rotationally angularly displaced therefrom to the stiffening strips of said second core member lying in planes rotationally angularly displaced from the planes of the stiffening strips of said first core member; c. solid particulate material disposed in and substantially filling said fluid channels; d. porous sheet means disposed against the upstream and downstream faces of said elements covering the upstream and downstream openings of said parallel fluid channcels to retain the solid particulate material therein; and e. frame means enclosing the periphery of said core members and sheet means forming a unitary cartridge element. 